Gadget Buddies looking at the latest Tech

Our Gadget buddies take a look at the virtual glasses and the C Pen text reader in this weeks column in The Next 48hOURS.

Virtual glasses

The world of 3D is upon us and you can experience it with this simple wearable gadget. We found an interesting pair of 3D virtual screen glasses recently. Weighing about the same as a Smartphone, these glasses create a 98 inch virtual screen before your eyes. The TFT LCD display comes with 854×480 resolution and offers superb quality for all media.

With an abundance of great 3D content, this is the perfect opportunity to jump into the 3D viewing world. Powering these glasses is a 1200mAh built in rechargeable battery that can support up to three hours of continuous video playback. In terms of memory, the glasses come with eight gigabytes built in, but that can be expanded to 32 gigabytes through micro SD card support.

After giving them a thorough test we found the design to be ergonomic and stylish, while the eye cups block out external light quite well. They are great to wear for watching video content without causing any disturbance.

While this is a great gadget to have and play around with, we feel that the price is still a bit too high compared to similar devices in the market right now.

Find them now at gadget-shop.co.za for around R7999.

C Pen Text Reader

The C Pen text reader is a major technological breakthrough for anyone learning English and is a life-saver for those who suffer from reading difficulties such as dyslexia. The Reader Pen is a totally portable, pocket-sized device that reads text out aloud with an English, human-like digital voice.

The pen is half the size of other portable pen scanners on the market and at 50g is half the weight. Importantly this means it can be used by a younger generation of English learners, making this learning tool suitable for children (age 6+) and adults. This is the only portable line scanner on the market that is both Mac and PC compatible. There is no software required; just connect the pen up to a computer with a USB cable and it appears as an external hard drive. Other features include a built-in voice recorder with playback.

Packed into the pen sized device is a central processing unit, 4 gigabytes of storage, a full electronic Collins dictionary and 1200mAh battery. By simply passing the scanner over text, the unit will detect words and read them aloud. The dictionary function was really impressive. After passing the nib over a word it instantly displayed the definition and read it aloud. It also accepts headphones, so you can use it without disturbing anyone around you, which is especially useful in places like libraries.

This particular gadget, while not a toy or something leisurely, is practical and can be a great help to anyone, especially students. It’s one we would definitely purchase.

Gadget Shop currently has stock of this pen for around R4500. Find it at your local gadget shop, or thegadgetshop.co.za.